Tuesday, December 19, 2006

You Get What You Ask For

You have spoken en masse and what you have said is that you actually don’t have a clue.

Yes. We, you and I, are a nation full of followers. But don’t trust me or blame me for saying you are crazy. Just take a look at some of the statistics and examples [written in no particular order].

1. The number one selling football jersey in Canada is the number eighty one of the Dallas Cowboys, worn by Terrel Owens. So we have made sure that the biggest cry baby, the most selfish player in the history of sports, a whiner and a dramatist who pretended to kill himself, someone who has little or no respect for anyone and someone that spits on opponents during games, is the number one dude. We like that. We showed that with our wallets. In fact we pay money to put that guy on our back and tell others he is the man. Good example. 2. Global Warming is not just a hot button issue but probably the issue on the minds of all North Americans. Especially in the wake of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Our leader has decided that the meager pollution and environmental gains that the Kyoto accord suggests are not really worth it. We are one of the only countries on the planet to first ratify this agreement and then go against it. We voted for that because the environment wasn’t a big issue for the second largest country by size in the world.

3. We continue to use natural resources and tourism as our key markets. Does anyone see that the two don’t mix? One needs to take the natural resources and the other needs to show them off. Just my thoughts but it seems at odds to me.

4. We live in a country that tolerates a province entering a hockey tournament as if they were a separate country. Hardly a murmur from the rest of us and if any of us did say anything it was to a friend in passing. We didn’t really stand up for ourselves as a country. That would ruffle the feathers of other people. Why would we……perhaps have basic patriotism? Again, just my thoughts but how will we ever have an identity if we don’t get irritated by this…..at least politically. Shouldn’t the other provinces just say ‘No’ and then be done with it?

5. As a country we have allotted what seems like 2 pages to the inconsequential ‘same sex’ marriage debate while maybe one page has been put to everything else. Give it a rest. We have bigger fish to fry starting with health and ending with the environment.

6. Video Game injuries. I don’t need to say anymore but Canada is apparently the number one country in the world per capita with injuries related to video game playing. When will we be fatter than the U.S.?

These are just a few of the things that have caught my attention this week but I am still baffled by a nation that doesn’t walk even though we are built generally from immigrants that knew nothing but; baffled by shopping mall car parks that don’t have sidewalks or places to avoid the SUV’s for meager pedestrians; baffled by parents that buy their 12 year old caffeine energy drinks and then wonder why they can’t concentrate or sleep. I’ll check in with some of those topics in the future but one thing I can say;

We are sure living in a strange world at a strange time. We asked for the above to happen by continuing to support it.

I’ll be back next week with some more random thoughts and if you see anything that needs to be addressed send me a line.

[Note: The stats can be checked, those examples that have them, and I approximated for simplification. If you think you are being cool by checking the exacts or for arguments sake, then you have missed the point…..again. Please just use the time to make a point and get people on board for saving this planet, one brain and one piece of garbage at a time.]